The Student Maintenance Grants Board has started crediting students’ accounts with the one-time grant and the annual grant over the past days, the Education Ministry said.

Almost 4,000 students from post-secondary and MCAST received their grant on Friday while a further 3,500 University of Malta students will receive theirs early next week.  This brings the total investment paid out in the past days to over €3.6 million. 

The ministry said that during 2013, investment in stipends and grants was just under €23 million. During the last scholastic year this increased to over €28 million. This was due to:

• More students continuing their education, especially through new programmes such as the Gem 16+, Alternative Learning Programme, Youth.Inc and the Job Bridge programme.
• Revisions to approved courses, including the addition of courses such as Post-Graduate Certificate in Dietetics and Legal Procurator.
• Revision of parameters which determine the eligibility of a student, including a stipend and grant provision to mature students.
• The implementation of the government pledge to provide a stipend to those who had to repeat a year.
• A wider allocation to more students, such as providing a stipend to those working as apprentices during the summer months as well as providing a grant payment in their second year of their course.
• Increase in stipend allowances, based on the cost-of-living rise.